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A Love Hate Relationship

Erin Krohn
Reaction paper #5
2/11/09
A Love Hate Relationship
There is a constant power struggle between media and the government as discussed in Graber chapter 9. Government officials want to gain public support by influencing media information that is released. They want to control and frame the ideas and situations of conflict that the public will be informed of. On the other hand, media wants to monitor government performance, acting as watchdogs, and want to present exciting stories to draw in large audiences. This will often cause conflict, for government officials may have matters that they would prefer not to be discussed. It is a vital relationship because the media serves an important role in politics by how it creates the views that form reality, on which political action is based. According to Graber, the major source for political information in the U.S. comes from Washington. Additionally several forms of contact exist between politicians and the press including press releases and news briefings, news conferences and backgrounders, which are essentially off the record news conferences.
The chapter outlines the four functions that the media has for the government: to inform the public of concerns and opinions, educate the public about government policies and opinions, inform the government of the public’s current mindset and to keep the head government officials in complete public view. Media can come in a variety of sources. It can either be indirect or direct. Direct media occurs when politicians directly speak to the American people, such as in a press conference. Indirect occurs when the media replays an event to the American people through their frame of mind. However, as Graber explains even when the media is direct, the press can still exalt a lot of influence though their angle and background choices that often give a different presence to the moment. Therefore, while we often find our politicians to be the most powerful people in America, they are not immune from the power of the press.
Media and the government have to withhold a constant balancing act between each other. Both have conflicts over the control of power, but the truth is that they both need each other to survive. They both contain power and can’t keep that power constant without the services of the other. The media and the government value a love hate relationship.
I found it interesting how the government is starting to take advantage of the newer technologies available, such as a website about the White House. The government can control their message at a better rate than if a reporter was interviewing them. Overall, the media and the government’s relationship will always be a continuing struggle for what story will surface and what in direction it will be framed.